* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *

PART THREE

The Eighth Year

Chapter 63: Our Last Days

When Hermione Granger woke up the day after her prom, it took her a little while to get out of bed. She sighed and listened to the silence around her. Everyone was asleep; she was always the first one up. This was it, her last full day at Hogwarts.

She had grown up here. All of her happiest and saddest memories were within these walls, and leaving them forever was going to be so difficult. She didn't feel stuck, she wanted to move on with her life, to get onto the next thing, but it didn't mean that she wouldn't look behind every so often.

Hermione dressed quickly and made her way down the stairs into the common room. It was 6 am. Given that the prom had been the night before, she hadn't expected anyone else to be up.

"Oh, hey Mione," Susan said from where she was lounging in front of the fire, it may have been summer, but it was still chilly this early in the morning.

"Hey Susan," Hermione said, her surprise came across in her voice, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Didn't sleep much last night," Susan admitted.

Hermione frowned and sat down next to her friend, "Why?"

Susan sighed and handed Hermione a letter. She unfolded it and realised straight away from the handwriting that it was from Percy.

"Hey, Susan,

Sorry to do this in a letter but I didn't have time to say goodbye properly. I can't tell you who via owl, but a very dangerous Death Eater is on the run after escaping Azkaban. I suspect the papers will catch wind of it soon enough. I'm working with the Auror department to hunt him down, but that means I'll be spending the foreseeable future in Asia.

I don't know how long I'll be, but I don't expect you to put your life on hold and wait for me.

Be safe,

Percy."

"Oh," Hermione said as she handed the letter back, "Well, he didn't break up with you."

"He couldn't," Susan said somewhat bitterly, "I don't even know if we were ever official."

"The way he's writing, Susan, it sounds like you are," Hermione said truthfully.

"Why does it matter now? You saw what he wrote," Susan said with a deep sigh.

"It matters. If you love someone enough, then you wait for them because nobody else is good enough," Hermione said, and it came from the heart.

Susan snorted at this, "You can't lecture me on waiting for him, Hermione. You didn't wait for Ron; you slept with your best friend."

This blow was low, and it really hurt Hermione, "Gee, thanks, Susan," she said darkly, "That situation was completely different. We were in the middle of a war; we both needed someone."

Susan shook her head in annoyance, "But if you had been so in love with Ron, then you wouldn't have done it."

"Well, clearly I wasn't so in love with Ron," Hermione snapped angrily, "I didn't realise it until that night in the tent when push came to shove, but I loved Harry."

Susan gaped at her friend for a moment before eventually closing her mouth, "I'm sorry Hermione…I didn't realise that there were…."

"Feelings?" Hermione asked harshly, "Do you really think I'm the kind of person who would just sleep with anyone, regardless of how I felt about them?"

Hermione frowned as she followed Susan's line of sight to the bottom of the stairs where Daphne was standing. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes wide.

"Well, this is awkward," Daphne said as she walked forward into the room.

"I didn't realise you were there," Hermione said quickly. Susan could only nod in agreement.

"I'm a Slytherin, I'm sneaky," She explained as she sat down on the armchair across from Hermione, "And although we have never explicitly discussed it, I knew you loved Harry back then. I could tell from the way you talked about him."

Hermione glanced down, "It wasn't a fleeting thing between us; it was something more. Whatever it was, it's gone now, I can promise you that much, but he will never stop being my best friend."

"I respect that," Daphne said honestly, "You forget the extremely non-fleeting nature of my relationship with your fiancé."

Hermione smiled weakly, and Susan chuckled.

"But regardless of past events, we're with the right people now. You and Draco are well-matched," Daphne said with a smile, "I never thought I'd see him with a Gryffindor, let alone a muggle-born, but you have changed him, for the better."

"And Harry has changed you," Susan said to Daphne with a grin, "You've thawed. We can't call you the ice queen anymore."

Daphne laughed at this, "I guess so," she said, "But Percy changed you too. Love changes everyone."

Susan's smile dropped at this, and then her face fell.

Daphne frowned, "What's wrong?" she asked, and Susan answered by throwing the letter at Daphne. She caught it and opened it. Then she scanned it.

"Well, he hasn't broken up with you. In fact, it seems to me like he's asking you to wait for him," Daphne said as she threw the letter back to Susan.

"How do you get that?" Susan asked as she reread the letter.

"By saying don't wait for me, he's implying that he wants you to," Daphne said simply. She made it seem like this was obvious.

"I think you ought to wait," Hermione agreed, "What you two have isn't something that should be thrown away."

"I feel like the odd one out sometimes," Susan admitted as she looked into the fire, "You both have boyfriends in our year, then there's Nev and Lil, and Sadie and Theo," she sighed, "And then there's me."

"Just because you aren't dating someone the same age as you doesn't make you the odd one out," Daphne said gently, "And as of tomorrow, we'll be out of here anyway."

"Yeah," Susan said thoughtfully, "That's a scary thought."

"I know," Hermione agreed, "I'm terrified."

"Hogwarts has been home for so long," Daphne said as she stared out of the window, "Being away will feel wrong."

"Where are you staying after graduation?" Hermione asked.

"With Harry at Potter Manor," Daphne replied, "What about you?"

"I don't know. I think Draco and I are going to go to our respective homes for a while, then try and find a flat," Hermione said sadly.

"I don't know where I'm going to stay," Susan said miserably, "I've spent my last few summers with Hannah's parents, but we're not that close anymore."

"Why don't you get a flat with Melody or something?"

"She's leaving with Roy. I could try and restore Bones Manor, but I suppose I'll just buy a flat somewhere," Susan said.

"I don't know where I'm going to live either," Sadie said as she and Lilly emerged from the staircase together.

"I mean, Theo and I are getting married, but we don't even have a house yet," She added as she dropped down onto another armchair, "I'm definitely not moving into Nott Manor. I can handle Lacey, but not Salvadora."

Lilly chuckled, "I reckon I'll spend the summer with Nev at Longbottom House. I'll be in France for six months after that if I get into the programme, so it will be nice to have some time together before I go."

"I don't know what any of you are talking about," A new, male voice said in amusement as Harry emerged from the boy's staircase and leant against the armchair that Daphne was sitting on, "Since I have a massive, newly refurbished house and all."

"Hah, and you want all of us to live with you?" Susan asked as if this idea was insane.

"He's probably serious," Hermione said.

Harry nodded, "Potter Manor has ten bedrooms, and it would be free, so you might as well."

"Shouldn't you be checking this with Daphne first?" Hermione asked as she narrowed her eyes at her best friend.

Daphne narrowed her eyes at Harry, "Yeah, shouldn't you?"

"It's my house, love," Harry said calmly, "And it would only be for a little while. Suse can stay until she's got the cash to rent her own place, Sadie and Theo until they can buy their own house and Draco and Hermione until I've signed over Grimmauld Place and they've refurbished it."

"Alright," Daphne said, although she didn't look massively thrilled about the idea. She had been planning on enjoying all the alone time she could with Harry that summer.

"All of us under one roof like one big happy, dysfunctional family," Another voice said as Draco appeared from the staircase with a smirk on his face.

"A very bloody dysfunctional family," Yet another voice said as Neville followed him out of it.

"Merlin, everyone is up early today," Daphne said in amusement.

"What do you expect?" Neville asked with a chuckle, "We're all as nervous as the next person about graduation tomorrow."

"Unless the next person is Theo," Sadie said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I don't expect to see him till noon regardless of whether or not it's graduation tomorrow," Draco said with a grin.

"Wrong," Theo said as he emerged yawning from the boys' stairway, "I heard talking, didn't want to miss out on the action."

"We were just discussing you guys all living at Potter Manor until you can find your own places," Harry said casually to his Slytherin friend.

Theo asked, "Do we have to pay you anything?"

Harry laughed and said, "Nah, not unless you break anything."

"Alright, we're in," He glanced over at Sadie, "Uh, I think. Are we Sadie?"

"Yes," Sadie said, she shook her head in almost fond exasperation at Theo, "We're in."

"I wouldn't mind living with you," Draco admitted, "Just until Grimmauld Place is ready to live in."

"I agree with Draco," Hermione said with a smile, "It would help us out an awful lot."

"I know for sure that I wouldn't mind the company," Susan said with a small smile, "And having a place to live is handy too."

"Well, I'll visit a lot," Neville said casually, "But Lil and I are spending the summer at Longbottom House."

"Course, that's fine," Harry smiled, "I think everyone else will only be staying temporarily anyway, Nev. But you know what with that decided...graduation doesn't seem so sad anymore."

Draco silently nodded his agreement.

Neville nodded too, "But it's still terrifying."

"Agreed," Hermione said with a nervous laugh.

Later that Saturday morning, the group found themselves feeling slightly nervous as they walked to the antechamber at the back of the great hall for their leaving coffee morning, which was traditionally the day before graduation.

"So, it's just us in a room with all of the teachers?" Theo asked with a yawn. He was still tired from the early morning start.

"Theo, it's important," Sadie said quickly, "It's our last chance to say goodbye to our teachers."

"And our last chance to thank them," Hermione added, she would probably thank every teacher personally.

"Don't forget the free cake Theo," Draco said, which brightened Theo up considerably as the group walked through the strangely empty great hall towards the open door at the end.

"I've never been in that little room before," Lilly said matter of factly, "I always thought it was for storage or something."

"It's nothing exciting," Harry said. He remembered it from fourth year, "Just a big room with some trophies and a fireplace."

When they entered the room, it was fairly full because most of the other eighth years were there already. It was full of teachers too, some Harry knew well and some that he didn't know so well because he had never taken their subjects. Most of the Ravenclaws talked to teachers, and other students were standing around awkwardly drinking from mugs or eating cake.

As they were surveying the scene, a voice welcomed them from nearby, and they looked over to see McGonagall.

"Good morning."

"Morning, Professor," Theo yawned, which made the others snicker. Even McGonagall smiled slightly.

"Good morning Mr Nott. Now, I assume you all know that the purpose of this morning is to discuss your future with your teachers and say goodbye."

They all nodded, and it was then that the group split. Sadie and Draco made their way over to Slughorn. Daphne went towards her Ancient Runes professor. Theo went to talk to the new Muggle Studies Professor. Lilly, Neville, Hannah and Susan approached Professor Sprout, and Hermione surprisingly made her way over to Flitwick. This left Harry alone with Professor McGonagall.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry told her with a smile, "For everything you've done for me throughout my time here. As embarrassing as it is to admit…you're one of the only mother figures I ever had."

McGonagall's smile seemed genuine as she said, "I do not say this to everyone Harry but believe it or not, I do have favourites. Watching you overcome the things you had to during your time here made me fond of you. I have been truly proud to see you flourish, and I think you deserve every ounce of happiness in the future."

"I think at some point, my future will lead me back here," Harry admitted with a slight smile.

"I can assure you that I would always be willing to offer you a job here whenever you want one," McGonagall said fondly. She added with a Dumbledore-esque twinkle in her eyes, "After all, Hogwarts will always be here to welcome you home."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Harry said as he shook McGonagall's hand, he felt sentimental as well as full of nerves and excitement for the following day.

The rest of the coffee morning passed by slowly, and nothing much of interest happened as Harry thanked the rest of his teachers, although, with Dumbledore dead, McGonagall was the one who meant the most to him. The other thing that Harry found interesting that morning was that Professor Dumbledore had ventured from his portrait in the Headmistress's office to see what was going on.

Harry smiled and walked over to the portrait he was lounging in, "Hello, Professor."

Dumbledore smiled, and his eyes twinkled, "Hello, Harry. How are you on this fine morning?"

"Honestly, I'm terrified about tomorrow," Harry sighed, "I'm terrified about leaving, but I'm sad too."

"The right road will always bring you back home if you let it, Harry," Dumbledore said cryptically, "Always remember that."

"Do you think I'll come back here as a teacher someday then?" Harry asked his old Professor.

"If that is what you want, yes," Dumbledore replied with a smile, "But it is not what you want at the moment."

"I don't know, I think it is what I want in the long run," Harry admitted, "I want to become an Auror, and I want to adopt Teddy and marry Daphne. Then I want my own kids, but when they are all grown up, I think I would like to come back."

"And as Minerva said, if you do, Hogwarts will always welcome you home," Dumbledore said sincerely.

Harry chuckled to himself at the comment, "But I guess sometimes you have to say goodbye to get on with your life."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, "And it takes a wise and mature man to realise that. You have become a wonderful man Harry, and I am ever so proud."

Harry smiled and glanced down sheepishly, "Thanks Professor," he mumbled through his embarrassment. He felt like a different person, partly due to the war, partly due to his new friends but mainly due to Daphne.

However, it was certainly a good change, that much he was sure of.

It was 11 pm, curfew was over, and it was the night before graduation.

Gathered in the eighth year common room were eight students dressed from head to toe in black. But one was missing.

"Where the hell is Harry?" Theo whined as he lounged on the sofa.

"I would have thought he would be eager," Draco said. He sounded fed up, "After all, this was his idea."

"Fashionably late," Harry said as he emerged from the boy's staircase dressed in Dumbledore-esque multi-coloured robes.

Draco let his head drop into his hands, "Potter, the whole point of this is stealth."

Neville chuckled and reminded the others, "He has an invisibility cloak."

"Exactly, Nev," Harry said with a grin as he pulled the cloak from his pocket, "For that, you can come under it with me."

Neville shook his head in amusement, "And hunch all night with you? No thanks, I'll pass."

"Ah, no worries, Nev. Daph, fancy it?" Harry asked his fiancé.

Daphne chuckled and said, "Sure," she made her way over to him and looked around at the others, "So, what's the plan?"

There was an awkward silence during which everyone looked around and waited for someone to say something.

"Let me get this straight," Hermione said as she looked at the others, "Nobody actually has a plan?"

"Hermione," Harry said with a smirk, "No offence, but when have any of our plans ever worked?"

"Good point," Hermione said with a smile.

"I think we should just go for a walk around the place while it's ours and nobody else is around," Neville said, "You know, say goodbye to it one last time."

Lilly smiled, "That's a nice idea, even if it is a little sentimental."

Harry nodded and grinned broadly, "I think that's a great idea."

And so they went forth on their final adventure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry and Daphne led the way under the invisibility cloak. Between them, they held the Marauders Map and scanned it for any dangers. Luckily Filch was in the North Tower with Trelawney instead of patrolling. The other Professors were all in their respective offices or dormitories, and the corridors were free of all human irritants.

"I think it's the ghosts we're going to have to watch out for," Harry whispered to the others as they sneaked along the seventh-floor corridor and got tutted at by the portraits who were trying to sleep.

"What makes you say that?" Daphne asked as she studied the map with the light from her wand.

"Peeves is crashing around in the Trophy Room," Harry pointed out, "And the Baron is haunting the dungeons."

"We'll steer clear of those floors then," Draco said from where he was trying not to fall over Daphne and Harry since they were invisible.

"We should go to the secret baths," Neville whispered.

Daphne's eyes lit up, "That's a great idea!"

"I'm not going skinny dipping."

Harry laughed out loud. He, Daphne, Theo and Sadie were already in the water, which was gloriously warm tonight.

"What makes you think we are?" Daphne asked in amusement.

"I didn't mean that it was just that Draco kept whispering it to me," Hermione said with a glare at her fiancé.

Draco smirked as he jumped into the pool with his boxers on, "It was worth a shot," he said.

Neville had also stripped to his boxers and gotten into the pool, and Susan had been in for a little while too. It was only Hermione and Lilly who stood hesitantly by the edge.

"Come on in, Lil," Neville said with a smile, "The waters lovely."

"And you're just totally cool with all your friends seeing me in my underwear?" Lilly asked as she crossed her arms at her boyfriend.

"They've seen you in a bikini. What's the difference?" Neville asked cluelessly.

"What's the difference," Lilly mumbled as she pulled off her t-shirt and slipped off her shorts, "I'd say this is the difference, Neville. I don't generally wear lacy bikinis."

Neville's cheeks flushed red, and Harry, Draco and Theo snorted at his uncomfortableness, "Alright, you win, just get in the bloody water already."

Lilly couldn't contain her slight smirk as she slipped into the water and swam over to him.

"Come on in, Mione," Draco said as Hermione still hesitated, "Come and have fun; it's our last night."

Hermione rolled her eyes, stripped down to her underwear and got into the water as fast as she could. They could have transfigured their clothes into bathing outfits as they had the last time, but then where was the fun in that? And this was their last ever night at Hogwarts. They splashed around together and played a couple of stupid games. They had no idea how much time had passed or how late it was, and they didn't care either. They supposed they should have done because they would have to be up early for graduation, but that didn't matter to them at that moment in time.

When they eventually did get back to the common room, it was relatively late. But as Harry and Draco lay in their beds, Harry felt the need to discuss something with his friend, "Hey Draco?"

"Yeah?" Draco replied as he drew back the curtain divider between their halves of the room so he could glance over at Harry.

"I was thinking about the sorting hat and how McGonagall made you wear it that time...I think it makes sense that you would have done well in Gryffindor," Harry said honestly.

Draco had a far off look in his eyes as he said, "If the circumstances had been different…maybe I would have done."

"I know the hat was right about me too. About me belonging somewhere between Gryffindor and Slytherin," Harry admitted, "After all...We all have both dark and light within us; the side we choose to act on is what defines things like our house and our personality."

"We're almost at opposite ends of the same spectrum," Draco mused, and Harry nodded in agreement at this.

"Regardless, though, I'm glad that we became friends this year," Harry said. He was trying not to sound too cheesy.

Draco chuckled, "Yeah, me too. I would never have admitted it, but I really wanted you to take my hand that day… I didn't just try to befriend you because of your fame."

"I'm sorry it took me eight years," Harry joked.

Draco laughed but said on a more serious note, "I'm sorry too."

Harry nodded as his acceptance of this apology, "It's all in the past now. Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"I'm terrified," Draco admitted, and Harry was surprised at his honesty.

"Me too, but it makes me feel better knowing we're all doing it together," Harry said with a slight smile.

Draco smiled weakly back and nodded, "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Draco."

The eighth-year common room was quiet that next Sunday morning.

It was packed with every single student sitting or standing around waiting until 6 am when the Great Hall would

be open for breakfast, but nobody was speaking.

They looked a sight. All of them were wearing their best black robes with their black wizard's hats stuffed in their pockets. Some people were twiddling their thumbs nervously; others were polishing their shoes or playing with their hair. Everyone was anxious, and most people were sad because today they said goodbye to Hogwarts.

"Doesn't seem real, does it?" Neville asked Harry from where they were leaning against the wall together; both of them were looking out of the window at the mountains beyond.

"Nah," Harry said distantly, "I never really thought about the day I'd leave this place. It's always been my home."

"At least you have somewhere to call home now," Neville said as he glanced over at Harry, "Imagine if you'd had to go back to Privet Drive."

"I don't really want to imagine it," Harry admitted grimly.

"Are Molly and Arthur coming today?" Neville asked as he leant against the windowsill.

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, they owled, saying they would be delighted to come."

"They are essentially your parents," Neville said with a smile, "Molly and Arthur are to you, what you and Daphne are to Teddy."

"I never really thought about it that way," Harry admitted, but he smiled slightly at the thought all the same.

"I always knew Molly and Arthur would be here for your graduation. But it's weird," Neville said with a sigh, "How much can change in a year."

"Tell me about it," Harry said, a pang of pain shot through him, "It kills me to think we're graduating without Ron."

Neville smiled slightly, but Harry missed this. He was too busy staring out of the window.

"We're graduating minus a lot of people that should be here," Neville said. His smile was gone now, and a haunted look was on his face.

Harry nodded, "I don't realise how bad it is sometimes, but last night I couldn't help but think that there should have been 42 students from our year graduating today."

"Wow," Neville said as the figure took him by surprise, "And considering that there are only 23 that will be graduating…."

"Exactly," Harry said darkly, "And I know not all of those people died, but then where did we lose 19 people?"

"Well, we lost Lavender and Parvati in the battle and then...Dean," Neville said as a lump rose in his throat. He cleared it and continued, "Seamus was kicked out, and Ron left. So that's five people already."

"And Slytherin lost Pansy and Crabbe in the final battle," Harry said with a slight frown.

"Goyle is in Azkaban," Neville filled in, "And Millicent Bulstrode immigrated to Australia at the start of the war."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked in surprise.

Neville just shrugged and said, "Lilly told me, don't ask how she knew."

"Oh fair enough," Harry said as a dark look passed across his face, "Slytherin lost Tracey too. I mean that alone is five people."

"I think Hufflepuff lost four," Neville said, and at that point, Hannah joined in. They hadn't even realised that she had been listening.

"We did," She said sadly, "Leanne was killed during the war because of her blood status. Oliver died saving a little girl when the orphanage he lived in caught fire. Wayne and Lisa just did their N.E.W.T's at the Ministry."

"I'm sorry, Hannah," Harry said sincerely.

Neville sighed, "Ravenclaw must have lost a lot more than the other houses in that case..."

"A lot of them probably just did their N.E.W.T's at the Ministry," Harry reminded his friend.

"Haven't you noticed there are only 5 of us?" Terry asked from where he was sitting in a chair behind Harry, "Well, six if you include Melody."

"Sorry, Terry," Harry said apologetically, "What happened to the others?"

"Morag hid out in America during the war and finished her schooling at Salem, and Su was murdered in the war because her father supported the light and spoke about it too loudly. Stephen died in the final battle, but you know that Harry. Kevin did his N.E.W.T's at the Ministry. Padma did too because she didn't want to come back without Parvati and Lavender."

"Merlin," Harry said, shaking his head in disbelief, "I'm sorry, Terry, I had no idea how much Ravenclaw lost."

Terry shrugged and said, "We aren't just about brains Harry. We're loyal; we showed that in the war."

Harry nodded and said the sincerest thank you to Terry for what his fellow Ravenclaws had done. He felt even more miserable than before now.

At that moment, the clock ticked to 6 am, and people began to move towards the great hall where it was warmer and where there was food. However, Harry doubted that anyone would eat much that morning. He hung back with Neville as everyone glumly filed from the common room.

"You coming, mate?" Neville asked Harry when they reached the landing outside of the common room.

Everything was packed in their dorms…it would be on the Hogwarts Express later that day. This was the last time he would see this place.

"I'll meet you there," Harry said gruffly, and Neville understood, so with a silent nod, he made his way down to the great hall alone.

When Harry was sure Neville was out of earshot, he glanced towards the portrait of his parents. They were all at the front of it with smiles on their faces.

"Good luck today, son," James said with a proud smile.

Lily had tears in her eyes as she nodded, "We wish we could be there to see it, Harry."

"But we'll be watching from somewhere," Remus said with a smile.

Sirius finished on a comedic note, "And whatever you do, don't fall off of the stage like James did!"

"I didn't fall off; you pushed me!" James retorted.

"I did not!" Sirius objected, "I bumped into you slightly, and you fell off! That does not constitute pushing!"

Harry chuckled as he watched his father and his godfather start to wrestle each other in the portrait. Lily and Remus looked at each other and rolled their eyes. He smiled at the people in the picture. It was to be moved to Potter Manor once he graduated, it was one of the greatest gifts he had ever received, and he still thanked Dean so much for it, even if he wasn't here with them today.

"Well, I better go," Harry said with a smile, "But I'll see you guys in your new home tomorrow."

"Please tell me it isn't Grimmauld Place," Sirius said as his wrestling match with James ceased, "I don't ever want togo back there."

"It isn't Grimmauld Place, Sirius," Harry said in amusement, "It's the newly refurbished Potter Manor, and you'll be hanging in pride of place in the drawing-room."

Sirius puffed his chest out, and James did the same. They looked like over-stuffed pretentious birds, and it made Lily and Remus descend into another fit of the giggles.

Harry had a grin on his face as he turned away from them and made his down the staircase of the Eastern Tower for the final time.

* ~ TBC ~ *